Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The value of an
energy audit
PAGE 46
tpomag.com
MARCH 2017
On to
New John Adie
Operations Supervisor
Concord, N.H.
Challenges
JOHN ADIE BRINGS A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS
TO A NEW ROLE OPERATING TWO PLANTS
PAGE 42
TECH TALK:
Rehabilitating gravity filters
PAGE 40
IN MY WORDS:
A perspective on making do
PAGE 48
CLARITY THROUGH ACTIONABLE
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LETS BE CLEAR Page 8 filter underdrain offers advantages in effective PRODUCT NEWS Page 66
Where Can You Save? backwashing and efficient filtration. Product Spotlight Water: A polymer pump solution
Energy audits are nothing new, but they can By Thomas M. Getting, P.E., BCEE, and Product Spotlight Wastewater: Thermal mass
reveal opportunities for major efficiency improve- John Geibel, P.E. flowmeter a fit for biogas systems
ments and provide a sound business case for By Craig Mandli
implementing them. SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS Page 46
By Ted J. Rulseh, Editor Energy Insights WORTH NOTING Page 68
An energy audit points the way to major savings People/Awards; Events
LETTERS Page 10 in aeration and a host of future improvements for
INDUSTRY NEWS Page 69
the clean-water plant in Stratford, Ontario.
@TPOMAG.COM Page 12
By Doug Day
Visit daily for exclusive news, features and blogs.
IN MY WORDS Page 48
HEARTS AND MINDS Page 18 coming next month: April 2017
When Funds Are Scarce
Riding a Fad Operators in small communities often find FOCUS: Monitoring and Instrumentation
Pokmon Go became the vehicle for education at themselves with many more needs than available Lets Be Clear: Blue Mind: Understanding the real
a water festival that drew a big crowd for a county funds can meet. Here is a perspective from an power of water
utility agency in Georgia. operator in that position. Top Performers:
By Craig Mandli Wastewater Plant: Service ethic in Eagle
By Ted J. Rulseh
Mountain, Utah
PLANTSCAPES Page 20
After the Storm Pumps Company Directory Page 50 Wastewater Plant: Plant of the Year award for
Cape Fear, North Carolina
Rain gardens built after Hurricane Sandy help
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 56 Wastewater Operator: Ken Burgener, North Davis
control runoff and provide lessons in green
Double Duty Sewer District, Syracuse, Utah
infrastructure for the New Jersey city of Hoboken.
A two-in-one unit from Schreiber removes grit Water Plant: Membrane excellence in Ogden Utah
By Jeff Smith
and grease from wastewater streams in parallel How We Do It: Affordable process improvement
HOW WE DO IT: WASTEWATER Page 30 channels, helping to protect downstream in Sunderland, Massachusetts
Choosing Durability processes. Sustainable Operations: Advanced recycling in
Stainless steel blades on mixer impellers help By Ted J. Rulseh Mission Viejo, California
eliminate maintenance issues and enhance Industry Perspective: Out with rapid infiltration
process performance at Research Triangle PRODUCT FOCUS Page 60 basins?
Parks treatment plant. Pumps PlantScapes: Forested land application in Dalton,
By Chris French By Craig Mandli Georgia
In My Words: Analyzing for phosphorus
TECH TALK Page 40 CASE STUDIES Page 64
Technology Deep Dive: Smart pumping solution
Rehabilitating Gravity Filters Pumps from Xylem
A dual parallel lateral configuration in a media By Craig Mandli
Rob
INTRODUCING THE ROBOX ENERGY
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E
Hydraulically Driven nergy audits have been around for a long time, most
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The Sustainable Operations fea-
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or call 1-800-451-0769.
At the clean-water plant in Stratford,
Severe duty
The second tier involves a review of your utility bills and
a walk-through of your plant with someone well versed in
water facilities and their energy usage. Many utilities and
some consultants offer this type of audit at no charge. Its a
good way to find low-hanging fruit places to save large
Septage Receiving
amounts of energy and money without a big investment, or
with a big investment that pays back fast. It can also help
you find areas that might warrant a closer look.
The walk-through will give you a reasonably detailed look
at how youre using energy and the large energy consumers,
like aeration, pumping, filtration and solids handling. At the
end, you receive a summary report and recommendations.
DIGGING DEEPER
The third tier is more and may simply follow up on the
walk-through, providing more detail. It might look into
areas such as your basic building heating, cooling and light-
ing systems, roof and wall insulation, the condition of win-
dows and doors, compressed air systems, and other
mechanical and electrical systems. It usually includes some
level of economic and engineering analysis, and predictions
of return on investment for various energy-saving measures.
The fourth and final tier is often called an investment-
grade energy audit. Its a comprehensive analysis of the
improvements you could make, with a tight focus on return
on investment. This type of audit is typically not free and in
fact can be expensive, but it can also be well worth the up-
front expense.
An investment-grade audit generally includes a close look
at utility rate structures and assesses how changes in usage
patterns such as shifting some operations to off-peak times
when power is cheaper might reduce costs. It also may
include a complete inventory of all energy-using equipment.
This kind of audit can be used to support a large and Robust construction
varied package of energy improvements, in which some have
fast payback, others have slower payback, and in aggregate
See how it works at:
the investment has an acceptable payoff. Award-winning
Project packages are often undertaken as performance huberforum.net/rofas service & support
contracts in which an energy service company finances the
improvements, which are then paid for over a number of solutions@hhusa.net
years out of resulting savings that are guaranteed by con- 704-990-2053 Simple
tract. It usually takes an investment-grade audit to support to operate
such savings guarantees.
goals to work toward for the environment, communities and for me person-
ally. The drive and passion that Ive always had didnt have direction until now. portable
The question of where to apply my love for science and the environment sludge level detector
was answered for my career path when wastewater and water treatment were
introduced to me. The other question what is my purpose? was also
answered by the water industry, opening new doors I never even considered
walking through.
Graduating with college degrees in engineering and communications
left me undecided and confused with life and my career. The confusion
unfortunately took me down a path that landed me in prison. The ironic
part is that this path introduced me to this terrific industry. Amidst all of
the tragedy, I had finally found my calling. Finding that answer despite
the situation resolved the toughest question that plagued me my entire
adult life. Water treatment and wastewater fulfill all of my personal pas-
sions and interests.
Water is our most important resource and should be treated as such. It
is vital to the survival of the human race and our planet. Treatment plant
operators and everyone else should do everything possible to preserve and
protect this resource. The quality of health and life for us and future gener-
ations should be a priority, and this industry can lead the way by integrat- Spot-Check
ing ourselves and new technologies into plant operations. sludge, silt & biosolids levels
As you stated in your article in the June 2016 edition, Its no longer sim- in clarifiers, tanks & lagoons
ply about getting water clean. Its about taking in wastewater and extracting
the resources it contains: clean water nutrients and energy. At the same Helps you
time, there are big advances in the processes involved. This statement, Eliminate unnecessary pumping/dredging
along with the big innovations sweeping through the industry, sparked even Prevent carryover
further excitement in me. Monitor bed depth for regulatory compliance
I have been working at a Class 3 activated sludge wastewater facility for Provide valuable sludge blanket profiles
10 months straight in the California Department of Corrections and Reha-
bilitation prison system. Working seven days a week, nine hours a day along
with the chief operators guidance, I have earned a Grade II wastewater Contact Markland today.
license and will be taking the Water Treatment II and Water Distribution II Call 905-873-7791 1-855-873-7791 in NA
exams next month. Even though Im in prison, even though Im away from
markland@sludgecontrols.com
my family, Im doing something I believe in while paying my debt to society
and rehabilitating.
In closing, Im excited about the path Im on. The water industry will be
my permanent career. My goal is to be a fixture in helping communities and
A half century of service
helping our struggling environment by treating the water I receive and the
to the water & wastewater industry
water I deliver back.
www.sludgecontrols.com
Michael Enstad
Pilot Rock Correctional Center FREE INFO SEE ADVERTISER INDEX
Crestline, California
exams. All they need is the hands-on training time to activate their licenses.
My proposal is that you use your many resources to inform employers of
Asking for a chance this resource and try to convey that it would be a benefit to all if this resource were
put to use. In a time when many operators are retiring and filling vacancies
Im currently incarcerated, and Ive had the privilege to learn about the is difficult, every source of potential operators should be taken advantage of.
operation of wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. Ive learned My current status is that I may not be able to activate my license before
that if I dont get licensed before my release from prison, it will be extremely I am released. This situation is stressing and vexing to say the least. If there
difficult to obtain a job. is anything you can do to aid me and the many ex-offenders who are going
Many ex-offenders who have completed these courses are unable to to go through this situation, please do what you can. Were striving to right
acquire the hands-on training hours needed to receive their licenses and are our wrongs and be productive citizens.
told by companies that if they do not possess their licenses, they cannot be
hired. I feel this policy is wrong and should be changed. This resource of Daniel J. Murillo, Operator Trainee
future operators should be utilized. Most of these potential operators Marion Correctional Institution
already have completed their classes and have taken and passed their state Lowell, Florida
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INFRASTRUCTURE
CYBERSECURITY
Is Your Plant
Secure?
Parts of Americas aging infra-
structure, including treatment
plants, are becoming increas-
ingly exposed to the threat
of cyberattack. California
State Polytechnic University-Pomona student Joe Needleman is working to
LEAD CONTAMINATION bring awareness to that problem by hosting a hacking competition that takes
ROOTS IN
OPERATIONS
AS HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS IN THE WATER UTILITY INDUSTRY, MARK KNUDSON
NEVER FORGOT THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF WATER AND WASTEWATER OPERATORS
STORY: Jim Force | PHOTOGRAPHY: Ethan Rocke
THE TWO YEARS MARK KNUDSON masters in environmental engineering from Ore-
SPENT AS A WASTEWATER OPERATOR gon State University.
at the Cowlitz County (Oregon) Water Pollution He received a 2014 Award of Recognition for
Control Plant made all the difference in his career. Service to the Water Profession from the AWWA
As the CEO of the Tualatin Valley Water Dis- and a 2005 Powell-Lindsey Citation for Outstand-
trict, a recipient of the George Warren Fuller ing Service from the Pacific Northwest Section
Award for distinguished service from the Pacific AWWA. He is a registered professional engineer
Northwest Section and the AWWA, and a former and certified water distribution and treatment
member of the AWWA board of directors, he says operator in Oregon.
those early years taught him the importance of
operations and maintenance and the roles opera- MAKING A DIFFERENCE
tors play in successful water management. How did he decide on the water profession?
Id gone to college, gotten a masters degree, My father was an electrical engineer, Knudson
and was doing exactly what I wanted to do, designing says. He worked for a Portland-based consultant
water and wastewater systems, Knudson remem- who designed water and wastewater facilities.
bers. But I realized that operations was the missing That gave him exposure to treatment plants and
link. I needed to understand the operators perspec- water management at an early age and led to his
tive. I was fortunate that the Cowlitz plant man- education in water engineering.
ager took a chance and hired me as an operator. He has no regrets about his early career deci-
He says those two years gave him tremendous sions. The initial reward came through the tech-
perspective on how plant operators were the key nical side, optimizing treatment processes,
to success: That experience has stayed with me increasing efficiency and performance, simplify-
through my career. ing operations and improving reliability, he says.
He was also motivated by the idea that waste-
ENGINEERING BACKGROUND water treatment can make a difference in the envi-
Knudson was named CEO of the Tualatin ronment: Early in my career, I began to appreciate
Valley district in 2013, where he had served as the public service nature of what we do. The expe-
chief engineer since 2007. The district serves rience at Cowlitz County allowed me to better
more than 200,000 customers in Beaverton, Hill- Mark Knudson, P.E., CEO of the Tualatin Valley appreciate the public health significance of the
Water District
sboro, Tigard and unincorporated Washington role of the treatment operator.
County, Oregon. As his career developed, Knudson was chal-
Before joining the district, Knudson worked for Carollo Engineers, the lenged by security issues around 9/11, and the need to harden facilities
Portland Water Bureau and the Clackamas River Water District. A native of against the risk of major earthquakes in the Northwest. Now as general
Tigard, Oregon, he earned a bachelors degree in civil engineering and a manager, hes in a position to put all the pieces together: operations, engi-
Id gone to college, gotten a masters degree, and was doing
exactly what I wanted to do, designing water and wastewater
systems. But I realized that operations was the missing link.
I needed to understand the operators perspective.
MARK KNUDSON
|
RESPONSIBILITIES: Oversee and direct second-largest water utility
in Oregon
|
EDUCATION: Bachelors degree civil engineering, masters degree
environmental engineering, Oregon State University
|
CERTIFICATIONS: Certified Operator, Water Distribution Level 4 and
Water Distribution Level 3 of Oregon
|
GOALS: Provide quality water and quality service and ensure a reliable,
sustainable supply
GPS COORDINATES: | Latitude: 453020.62N; longitude: 122511.21W
Mark Knudson sees little difference between his personal and He has extraordinary administrative skills. ...
professional challenges: Ive done water management my entire
life, and now theyre really one and the same. He has a good staff. Its unusual to find
At the top of the list he puts partnerships with other water someone with his credentials who has also
jurisdictions, followed by personnel, and then customer expecta-
tions. Historically, water supply has centered around indepen- been an operator. We go where he leads us.
dent systems that sometimes behave in a parochial manner. JIM DOANE
Today, Knudson believes systems need to rely on multiple
sources and interconnections to achieve the resiliency they need neering, environment, public service, public health and safety, and organi-
zational management.
to continue providing quality water. That and the need for rate
He has extraordinary administrative skills, says Jim Doane, who serves
efficiencies are driving water agencies toward regional solutions.
on the district board and has known Knudson for more than 30 years. He has
Technology is the easy part, he says. The real need is for so many balls in the air. He has a good staff. Its unusual to find someone with
cooperation and coordination among boards and councils of his credentials who has also been an operator. We go where he leads us.
multiple jurisdictions. They need to surrender a little bit of control
in order to achieve the greater public good. SECURITY AND 9/11
Finding great people is another challenge: Good isnt good On Sept. 11, 2001, Knudson was director of operations and maintenance
enough. We need people who are bitten by the public service for the Portland Water Bureau. The terrorist attack changed his own and the
bug and get personal satisfaction from meeting a critical commu- entire water industrys focus. I was driving to work when I heard about the
nity need as opposed to receiving a big salary. We need to grow
planes crashing into the towers, he recalls. Immediately, his attention
switched to security.
the future leaders and our industry.
We mobilized security, developed a command system, and implemented
As for meeting customer expectations: We tend to be a
a security plan. Suddenly we recognized how precarious the water system
conservative industry and slow to change. At the same time, the could be, at Portland or anywhere. At the time, Portland had large, open-
expectations of our customers regarding billing, account access, water reservoirs. Recognizing their vulnerability, the bureau hired security
updates and social media are evolving rapidly. services to monitor them. Over time, Portland formed its own security team
to guard key facilities.
But recent research shows its at sig-
nificant risk. Its imperative that we The secret to success is to be clear about our objective, and not get
plan for a magnitude 9 earthquake lost in the details. Were providing a resilient source of water for
in the next 50 years in the North-
west. It would be similar to the 2011 generations to come.
earthquake in Japan, and the impacts MARK KNUDSON
on our communities would be
catastrophic.
We arent able to upgrade everything, so we focus
on developing a resilient backbone of key facilities
and pipelines that are designed to withstand such a
quake. Pipelines represent some of the biggest chal-
lenges. They need special protection, especially at
the joints.
GOING REGIONAL
Knudson is putting his planning experience into
practice as part of a new regional water supply pro-
gram the Tualatin Valley district is managing. Its a
100 mgd supply system that includes a treatment
plant, transmission pipelines and reservoirs that will
draw water from the Willamette River to supply the
district and five other partnering agencies.
Our district gets about half its water from the
Portland Water Bureau, which is expensive, and much
of that system was built before we understood the
seismic risks, Knudson says. The new system will
take advantage of the districts previous investment
in an intake on the Willamette. The new supply sys-
tem will cost about $1.2 billion and employ awesome
technology to meet the regions needs, Knudson
says. The project must be operational by June 2026.
The success of the regional project has required
open communication and cooperation. It has been
a six-way conversation, Knudson says. The secret
to success is to be clear about our objective, and not
get lost in the details. Were providing a resilient
source of water for generations to come.
Riding a Fad
POKMON GO BECAME THE VEHICLE FOR EDUCATION AT A WATER FESTIVAL
THAT DREW A BIG CROWD FOR A COUNTY UTILITY AGENCY IN GEORGIA
By Craig Mandli
U
nless youve lived off the grid for the past nine months, youve prob-
ably heard of the hit game, Pokmon Go.
Laurie Loftin learned about the game when she saw visitors to
parks and other public areas walking while staring at their mobile devices.
She made Pokmon Go the theme of a water festival that drew big atten-
dance for the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County (Georgia).
It was hard not to notice all the people walking around, says Loftin,
water conservation program education specialist for the county. Once the
news coverage hit, you really couldnt avoid it. I downloaded the app so I
could see what everyone was coming for.
MAKING IT FUN
Using their smartphones, Pokmon Go players navigate a virtual map
to capture Pokmon creatures, then train them and battle them against oth-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY
ers at gyms. Loftin applied the game to the seventh annual Athens Water
Festival at Sandy Creek Park in September.
Families bring their kids out because it is something really fun, says
Loftin. From there were able to speak to the adults, who arent likely to
come to a workshop on their own. So were able to get water education to
both kids and parents.
Families bring their kids out because it is
something really fun. From there were able to
speak to the adults, who arent likely to come to a
workshop on their own. So were able to get water
education to both kids and parents.
LAURIE LOFTIN
During the festival, kids get sprayed by water trucks, see the inside of a
fire hydrant, and touch marine and freshwater creatures. Adults take part in
short workshops to learn about homemade green cleaning products, rain
barrels and rain gardens. Singers, dancers and a magician also take part.
Loftin ties current events and fads into each festival. After borrowing
from Star Wars for a virtual light-saber battle at the 2015 festival, she
focused on Pokmon last year. As attendees entered the festival grounds,
Exhibits included a water filtration experiment. their first stop was the countys I Made a Splash booth, which doubled as
the Pokmon gym.
SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH
The 2016 festival drew more than 800
attendees, a record crowd, even though
the University of Georgia football team
played a home game on the same day.
This is big football country, so any
time you compete with the Bulldogs,
you dont know what youre going to
get, says Loftin.
The crowd that came out, though,
was very diverse. There were a lot of
young families with small children, and many older
people who just wanted to learn more about our water system. It was
a very nice group. Weve asked young parents about what the best ways to EPA. I think pretty much everyone takes clean water for granted in this
involve them are, and almost all say to find a way to involve their kids. country, says Loftin. Its our job to let people know how important it
That model has earned national recognition. The county Public Utili- really is. The more diverse we can make that message, the wider audience
ties Department received a 2016 Partner of the Year award from the U.S. were going to reach.
The city has plans
to build other
infrastructure like rain
gardens throughout
the community, and
wed like to think its
because ours have
been so successful.
PHIL REEVE
RAIN GARDENS BUILT AFTER HURRICANE SANDY HELP CONTROL RUNOFF AND PROVIDE
LESSONS IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NEW JERSEY CITY OF HOBOKEN
By Jeff Smith
L
ots of rain and stormwater runoff in a short time can challenge any The smaller garden is 44 by 18 feet; the larger one measures 90 by 10
combined sewer system. feet. Both are designed to handle 3 inches of ponding. They drain through
Just ask the operators of the Adams Street Wastewater Treatment 12 inches of permeable soil on top of 6 inches of gravel. The certified sandy
Plant in Hoboken, New Jersey, where flooding in parts of the city is common. soil mixture is amended with up to 7 percent organics and contains less
None was more challenging than the flood caused by the 14-foot storm surge than 5 percent clay and silt.
produced by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when nearly half the city was flooded.
We were devastated, and the plant was offline for 24 hours, says Phil HELP WITH MAINTENANCE
Reeve, project manager for CH2M Hill at the 20.8 mgd (design) plant The gardens support native grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, shrubs and
owned by North Hudson Sewerage Authority. But through a lot of hard deep-rooted plants some 800 in all. For aesthetics, an 18-inch-wide bor-
work and cooperation we were back to full treatment in five days. der of stone adorns each garden.
The plant staff performs only a small amount of maintenance; most of
PART OF THE PLAN that work falls to students from Hobokens Stevens Institute of Technology.
Not long afterwards, Reeve and his staff coordinated the design and The students volunteer their time and do the work as part of a study by their
installation of two rain gardens, the first of them in Hoboken, as part of a professor, who monitors the capacity and water quality to determine the
site improvement project. As it happened, that effort gave the authority a rain gardens efficiency.
head start on a regional planning effort called The Hoboken Green Infra- Reeve says the rain gardens are the result of the second attempt to build
structure Strategic Plan, which evolved over the next two years. them. In 2011, an anticipated grant from an irrigation equipment manufac-
Finalized in late 2013, the plan is part of a 13-county initiative in North turer to fund the project fell through, but the authority was so committed to
Jersey called the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development. Funded by the project that its leaders decided to pay for the gardens. Work was then
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the plan outlines a interrupted by Hurricane Sandy.
variety of ways to reduce stormwater runoff, such as by constructing wetlands, Our rain gardens have been very successful, says Reeve. The city has
building basins or ponds, creating vegetated swales, installing green roofs, plans to build other infrastructure like rain gardens throughout the com-
minimizing areas of impervious surfaces, and installing rain gardens. munity, and wed like to think its because ours have been so successful.
The two rain gardens at the Adams Street Plant are in front of the main
administration building. Each captures flow from the parking lot and LEARNING TOOLS
diverts it away from the combined sewer system. Education is a big part of the rain gardens success. Besides the study by
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DR. RICHARD J. WOLFF
Share Your Ideas
Our goal in constructing the
rain garden was to focus our local TPO welcomes news about
communities on green solutions in interesting features of your facilitys
The team at the North Hudson grounds, signage or buildings for
urban settings, says Dr. Richard J. Wolff, the authoritys executive direc- future articles in the PlantScapes
Sewerage Authority includes, from
tor. There is a great deal that can be done with green infrastructure in column. Send your ideas to editor
left, Phil Reeve, CH2M Hill project
densely populated areas serviced by CSO collection systems. We wanted to manager; Ludmila Bgongoradazi and @tpomag.com or call 877/953-3301.
set an example for developers and municipalities alike, and this rain garden Guiherme Wecker, Stevens Institute
has been a great step forward in that regard. of Technology exchange students from Brazil; Dr. Richard J. Wolff, authority
executive director; and Steven Hudock, CH2M Hill client services manager.
was the same with the lab. We had specified some equipment but it was not
stocked initially.
Next, we had to do subtle upgrades and modifications, like adding sig-
nage, installing lockout/tagout stations, adding hoses and reels, placing lock-
ers for personal protective equipment, building the Material Safety Data
Sheet collection, deciding where to install valves and sample ports, setting up
an office, and more. Having an experienced staff was extremely helpful.
The teams success has been recognized with the 2016 David W. York
Water Reuse Facility of the Year Award (1 to 5 mgd category) from the Flor-
ida Water Environment Association.
tic University and the University of
Florida. The Bergeron Rodeo Part of the startup
Grounds, next to the town hall, is a
stop on the national professional
stage of the MBR
rodeo circuit. process is to build that
The history of the water recla-
mation facility goes back to 2007, biofilm on the front of
when the South Florida Water Man-
agement District (SFWMD) adopted the membranes. At
the Regional Water Availability Rule, startup, the effluent is
requiring utilities to develop alter-
native water supplies to meet future good, but it continues
demands and minimize impact on
aquifers. For the town of Davie, that to get better as you
meant 0.6 mgd reduction in the avail- build the biomass.
able water supply.
JOHN McGEARY
After a thorough needs assess-
ment, town officials determined that
a 6 mgd brackish water treatment facility and a 3.5 mgd reclaimed water
facility would be needed by 2013. The brackish water reverse osmosis plant
reduced withdrawals from the freshwater Biscayne aquifer by instead draw-
ing from the deeper Floridian aquifer.
structure on site, says John McGeary, chief operator. We had a mainte- GPS COORDINATES: | Latitude: 2645.28N; longitude: 80145.27W
nance shop, but no tools, equipment or supplies, and limited spare parts. It
EFFICIENT PROCESS
The water reclamation facility
was designed and built by AECOM;
Ovivo supplied the MBR. Influent
from two pump stations first enters
the headworks, passing through two
23 mm rotating drum screens (Huber
Technology) and then a cyclonic grit
removal system (Fluidyne Corp.).
A biofilter (Evoqua Water Tech-
nologies) controls odors from the
headworks. It doesnt use harsh
chemicals, says McGeary. We fill
it with plant food. The media devel-
ops a biomass that consumes the
hydrogen sulfide. That is followed
by an activated carbon absorber (Evo-
qua). We just dont have odors.
From the headworks, the flow
moves to two covered anoxic basins
for denitrification. It is then pumped
to an aeration zone where nitrification
occurs. The blowers are controlled on
a feedback loop based on a programmed
dissolved oxygen setting.
In the MBR channels, aeration
continues. A thin microbiological film
on the membranes aids BOD and TSS
removal. Part of the startup stage of
the MBR process is to build that bio-
film on the front of the membranes,
says McGeary. At startup, the efflu-
ent is good, but it continues to get
better as you build the biomass.
We regulate the flow through the
membranes with pumps controlled
by variable-frequency drives. If the
level goes up in the anoxic tanks, then
the system pumps more. If the level
goes down, it pumps less. Our pumps
are on the discharge side of the mem-
branes; we pull the flow through the
system. Our favorite feature is that
we dont have clarifiers. Were not
dependent upon settleability. We dont
have to worry about filaments. We dont
have to worry about cleaning weirs.
ON TO REUSE
The mixed liquor suspended solids not processed FREE INFO SEE ADVERTISER INDEX
after the MBR flows by gravity back to the anoxic
basin. The permeate goes through a TrojanUVFit disinfection system. The Disinfected effluent is sent to two storage tanks designated reclaim and
finished water is then sent to reuse storage and then on to customers; excess reuse. The difference between the two is that if the process becomes upset,
over customer demand is injected down deep wells. the connection between the tanks is severed and effluent is delivered only to
Solids are wasted to a 400,000-gallon two-stage aerobic digester. A mem- the reclaim tank, from which it is pumped down the deep wells.
brane biothickener in Stage 1 continuously removes water, thickening the If turbidity and disinfection are good, then the two tanks are intercon-
material from 1 percent to 3 percent solids. Aeration continues in Stage 2. nected and we pump reuse to customers on pressure demand, says McGeary.
The material is then delivered to a rotary press (Fournier Industries) to We maintain pressure at 70 psi, and customers use what they need. If the
dewater. The press is self-contained, says McGeary. The solids and the level goes up and the tanks are full, then the deep well pumps come on. Our
polymer enter a mixing chamber and then go into the press. usage can vary greatly. If it rains five days in a row and nobody uses any
An automatic system loads truck trailers with finished Class B biosolids water, thats when the deep wells come into play.
for transport to farms for land application. Contractor H&H Liquid Sludge Major reuse customers are the University of Florida Agricultural Test-
Disposal handles hauling, site permitting and application for biosolids from ing Center, which abuts the plant property; Nova Southeastern University
both the towns treatment plants. We also have permits to send material to across the street; and a golf course down the road from the plant. The dis-
lined landfills or to residuals management facilities, McGeary says. tribution system has been extended to a town park and a town golf course,
nov.com/lessdowntime
2017 National Oilwell Varco | All Rights Reserved
tors. Team members and compliance officer Doyon do full walkthroughs of
the plant every two months to identify issues that need attention. All SOPs
Water conservation is a big deal [and]
include a safety component. The fire alarm and suppression system is thor- becoming more important in South Florida.
oughly tested annually. Training courses for continuing education credit are
JOHN McGEARY
offered periodically to staff by vendors, the city of Fort Lauderdale safety
training bureau, and the local operators association.
For McGeary and his team, starting and running the plant has been a good
ride and a source of satisfaction. Once we moved the influent pipe here from
the other plant, it was the point of no return, he says. We had to learn quickly
how to get things right. The plant works very well. Its very consistent. If you
have the machines running right, they will produce results for you.
Todd Tysinger checks settings for the rotary press (Fournier Industries) used to
dewater solids before transport to farms for land application.
SG Integrally-Geared Roots Overhung Inboard Roots Horizontally Roots Integrally-Geared Roots RAS-J Roots Rotary
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Choosing Durability
STAINLESS STEEL BLADES ON MIXER IMPELLERS HELP ELIMINATE MAINTENANCE ISSUES
AND ENHANCE PROCESS PERFORMANCE AT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARKS TREATMENT PLANT
By Chris French
A
re fiberglass or stainless steel impeller blades better for a wastewater
treatment plants mixers? At one of the worlds largest research parks,
there is no shortage of expertise for weighing whether one material
is better than another.
With more than 200 companies and some 50,000 people skilled in fields
such as microelectronics, telecommunications, biotechnology, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and environmental services, Research Triangle Park in
Durham County, North Carolina, is a place to find answers to all sorts of
technical questions.
At the nearby Triangle Wastewater Treatment Plant, operators experi-
ence made a case for mixers with stainless steel impellers. As a result, the
plant team has been gradually replacing its fiberglass-bladed mixers with
stainless steel.
VARIABLE FLOWS
Industrial wastewater accounts
for 70 percent of the plants intake,
but it also handles large flows from
the weekday workforce at the research
park, and from 6,000 local residents
on weekends, when flows are appre-
ciably slower.
Joseph R. Pearce, deputy direc-
tor of the Durham County Engineer-
ing and Environmental Services
Landia submersible mixers and air-jet units mix and aerate the biosolids
Department, says, Although our
sludge tanks at Durham County.
percentage intake of industrial waste-
water is significantly higher than the
The Durham County team chose national average, we still have to deal PROCESSING SOLIDS
mixers with stainless steel impeller with all the hair and rags that despite Built in the early 1960s and expanded in the 1970s, the Triangle plant
blades for extended service life. pre-screening can cause clogging was upgraded in 2005 when the 6 mgd tertiary treatment facility was replaced
problems for any treatment plant. with a 12 mgd five-stage enhanced biological nutrient removal system that
During his near 10 years at the plant, Pearce and his team have labored removes nitrogen and phosphorus with carbon source addition and chemi-
long and hard to keep the original mixer blades going. Weve been doing cal phosphorus treatment using sodium aluminate. The mixers installed at
everything we can, but the clogging, especially during storm events, became that time had fiberglass impellers.
more and more frequent. In 2013, a new biosolids handling facility was constructed. This time
We had to pull up mixers from which heavy hair mixed with plastics around, with Pearce at the helm, the decision was made to use mixers from
and cotton swabs were hanging, taking them out of service. It became nor- Landia that have solid stainless steel impellers.
mal for this to be once per month, per mixer in some of the treatment facil- The biosolids facility consists of two aerated holding tanks with 1 million
ity mixing zones. Eventually, the blades gel-coat front edge wears off, making gallons capacity, three centrifuges, and an automated truck loading station.
them split, and at up to almost $10,000 per blade to replace, this was some- Excess biomass flows to sludge holding tanks. The waste sludge thickens by
thing we had to address. gravity, and the supernatant is decanted into a sidestream equalization tank.
Verderflex Dura
Hose pumps for reliable lime slurry transfer
www.verder-us.com 877-476-3569
much to the mixers, says Pearce. Were extremely happy with our invest-
Landia mixers and jet aerators then go to work on the thickened mate-
ment because improving Durham Countys facilities and improving safety
rial (1 percent solids) to ensure a uniform solids concentration and minimize
is very much our mission.
anaerobic conditions. Polymer is added to the thickened material before it
Setting standards at the Triangle plant is nothing new. The facilitys
is moved to the centrifuges, which deliver a cake at 20 percent solids. This
administration building was the first to be LEED-certified. Low-energy,
material is pumped to trailers for transport to a commercial Class A com-
recycled, and regionally manufactured materials were used in its construc-
posting facility for stabilization and distribution to the landscape market.
tion. The buildings wastewater is treated and rerouted to the HVAC system
In our biosolids facility, we have no issues whatsoever with the mixers,
and low-flow toilets. Using reclaimed water has reduced potable water use
says Pearce. They were very reliable, so we then retrofitted a Landia mixer
by 32 percent.
into one of our problem basins to try it. After a seven-month run we had no
In addition, the Triangle plants recycled water facil-
Up With Quality
SAN ELIJO JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY PROTECTS
OCEAN WATER QUALITY AND PROVIDES A DROUGHT-RESISTANT RECYCLED WATER SUPPLY
STORY: Trude Witham | PHOTOGRAPHY: Collin Chappelle
AS A SMALL WASTEWATER/RECYCLED the treatment facility, eight lift stations and the San Elijo
WATER AGENCY WITH JUST 21 EMPLOYEES, Ocean Outfall, co-owned with the city of Escondido.
the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority (SEJPA) has accom- The water reclamation system consists of tertiary
plished big things. treatment facilities, 19 miles of recycled water distribu-
In 2016, it was named Recycled Water Agency of the tion pipelines, and three recycled water reservoirs hold-
Year by WateReuse California in the medium-size cat- ing 750,000 to 1 million gallons.
egory, recognizing the agency for its leadership, creativ- The authority wholesales recycled water to the San
ity and persistence in developing recycled water as a Dieguito Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District,
valuable local water supply. Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the city of Del
That would not have happened without exceptional Mar to irrigate fairgrounds, golf courses, parks, school
teamwork. Our operations staff, led by operations direc- properties and highway rights-of-way. Says Thornton,
tor Chris Trees, P.E., shows incredible initiative, flexi- The success of our recycled water program is built on
bility and intellectual dexterity to innovate and improve collaboration with our water district partners. Together,
treatment and delivery of high-quality recycled water, weve created an award-winning program.
says Mike Thornton, P.E., SEJPA general manager. Also,
we have a visionary board of directors who take a broad CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
view not only of the functional work we do, but of the The water reclamation facility, in Cardiff by the Sea,
greater positive impact we can have on our community. was built in 1965 and operated by San Diego County. As
The SEJPA owns and operates the San Elijo Water flows increased and the Clean Water Act took effect, the
Reclamation Facility. The wastewater system includes plant converted to advanced primary treatment in 1981,
The team at the San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility includes, front row, from
left: Dale Kreinbring, Mike Thornton, Mike Piper, Carrie Cook, Ravy Chea,
San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility, Scott Best and Chris Trees. Back row: Mike Konicke, Paul Kinkel, Jim Barnett,
Cardiff by the Sea, California Aaron Simonson, Jose Garcia and Mike Henke.
BUILT: | 1965
POPULATION SERVED: | 40,000
EMPLOYEES: | 21 built in 2013, includes a 1.4 mgd microfiltration system (Pall Corporation)
FLOWS: | 5.25 mgd design, 3 mgd average and 0.5 mgd reverse osmosis system (Water Equipment Technologies - a
TREATMENT LEVEL: | Tertiary Xylem Brand) that can be expanded to 1 mgd. The facility operates in par-
|
TREATMENT PROCESS: Water reclamation facility: activated sludge,
allel with the sand filters to produce 3 mgd of recycled water, about the same
sand filtration. Advanced treatment facility: as the average daily wastewater flow.
microfiltration, reverse osmosis Wastewater entering the reclamation plant is treated with bar screens and
RECEIVING WATER: | Pacific Ocean an aerated grit chamber before it flows to the primary sedimentation basins.
BIOSOLIDS: | Dewatered and land-applied
From there, it is sent to equalization basins to attenuate daily peak flows. It
is then sent to conventional activated sludge basins equipped with anaero-
ANNUAL BUDGET: | $6 million (operations and maintenance)
bic selectors before final clarification in rectangular secondary clarifiers.
WEBSITE: | www.sejpa.org
Primary sludge is sent directly to anaerobic digesters; waste activated
GPS COORDINATES: | Latitude: 33049.35N; longitude: 1171625.33W
sludge is first sent to dissolved air flotation thickeners and then to the digest-
ers. The digested material is dewatered with belt presses that regularly achieve
20 percent solids. The dewatered biosolids are trucked to farms in Arizona
increasing capacity from 2 mgd to 2.87 mgd. The facilitys management and for land application. Digester gas is used to heat the digesters.
operations was transferred from the county to SEJPA in 1986. Today, SEJPA serves about 40,000 people over 19 square miles, includ-
In 1992, secondary treatment facilities and other upgrades increased ing the cities of Solana Beach, Encinitas, Del Mar and parts of Rancho Santa
capacity to 5.25 mgd. In 2000, tertiary treatment was constructed, along with Fe. The authority produces some 450 million gallons of recycled water per
17 miles of distribution pipelines, two reservoirs and one booster pump sta- year. The water reclamation facility is permitted to discharge up to 3.02 mgd
tion. The tertiary system included 2.5 mgd of continuously backwashing of tertiary-treated water to recycled water users, and up to 5.25 mgd of sec-
sand filters (Parkson Dynasand) followed by sodium hypochlorite ondary effluent to the Pacific Ocean.
disinfection. The arid San Diego area relies heavily on water imported from the Col-
Recently, the system was upgraded to include an additional steel reser- orado River and Northern California; recycled water helps the community
voir and more distribution pipelines. An advanced water treatment facility, conserve potable water.
(continued)
34 TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR
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your With over 1100 units installed in broad applications in wastewater treatment,
blowers APG-Neuros customers enjoy the highest success rate. Our valuable new
customers include large cities like Houston (TX), Washington D.C., New York City
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APG-Neuros proudly provides its customers with large stock of spare parts and
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System improvements. APG-Neuros customers reported high blower availability
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Ravy Chea, SEJPA senior lab
analyst, tests the plants daily
reclaimed water sample.
ADVANCED WATER TREATMENT during meetings with the design team and with representatives of the equip-
The advance water treatment system has greatly improved recycled water ment manufacturers, who also provided on-site training, Trees says. From
quality. Historically, we struggled with high TDS in the recycled water, these meetings, the staff developed standard operating procedures for oper-
partially from local water supplies and partially from water softeners within ation and system cleaning.
the service area, says Trees. Often, TDS ranged from 1,100 to 1,300 mg/L. The SEJPA team worked closely with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants and
Now, our TDS levels are in the 700 to 900 mg/L range. Trussell Technologies on operations improvements to fine-tune the biologi-
System construction went smoothly. Operators reviewed the design cal process. Those included adding an anaerobic selector, enhanced dissolved
HIGHLY DECORATED
The San Elijo Joint Powers Authority (SEJPA) has collected Arredondo goes above and beyond to help make facilities safer
some 40 awards since 2003. Besides the Recycled Water Agency of and better. As a safety committee member, she shared ideas and
the Year Award from WateReuse California in 2016, the authority developed training sessions. Says Trees, She is readily available to
won three 2015 awards from the California Water Environment help the operators with extra lab tests, equipment calibrations and
Association: whatever else is needed to help make their jobs a little easier. She
Operator of the Year Mike Dietrich, lead operator also volunteers time on weekends to staff the authoritys booth at
Laboratory Person of the Year Susie Arredondo, community events, teaching the public about water reclamation
laboratory analyst and conservation.
Electrical/Instrumentation Person of the Year Casey Larsen, Larsen has made big contributions in upgrading facilities, and
SCADA manager planning and designing capital projects. For example, he developed
Says Chris Trees, operations director, During 2015, Mike Dietrich a program to automate the aeration system for the activated sludge
led the operations team into an increasingly complex and demand- process to optimize energy use based on dissolved oxygen set-
ing operations environment. He showed exemplary leadership points. This work was paramount to the overall project, which is
during one of the most dynamic years in our plants history. saving 900,000 kWh each year, says Trees. Larsen also imple-
For example, he performed troubleshooting on the primary mented an energy-savings program for recycled water distribution.
influent and digester ferric addition systems to find the cause of The program controls pump runtimes to minimize operations
unusually high intermittent chemical usage. After reviewing during periods of on-peak energy prices.
treatment process parameters, laboratory data and the chemical Says Mike Thornton, general manager, We have a very
addition system, he found that occasional high storage tank levels passionate and dedicated staff. They choose to be engaged in the
were causing the chemical to be pushed past the peristaltic pump industry and seek high levels of certification. They take great pride
heads and hoses. in the results we produce.
(continued)
36 TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR
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As the regulations evolve, there may be
opportunities to pursue in potable reuse.
MIKE THORNTON, P.E.
G
ranular filter media (effective sizes from 0.5 to 1.5 mm) generally
remove particles larger than 7 to 10 percent of the smallest grains.
Most water treatment applications try to remove color and all solids
greater than 10 to 20 microns. Smaller particles are removed with the help
of coagulating chemicals.
In gravity filters, the conditioned raw water is introduced at the top of a
basin, flows down through the media bed, and is collected by the underd-
rain system (Figure 1). The driving force is the distance from the water level
over the filter to the first air break, which is usually into a clearwell or con-
trol weir.
As solids accumulate in the media, the headloss increases until either the
flow cannot be maintained or solids are driven through the filter. At that point,
backwashing water or a combination of air and water scours the media and
restores the driving force. Backwash effectiveness is measured by the result-
ing media cleanliness and costs of power and water used for backwashing.
Several studies have shown that an
air/water backwash system provides
a cleaner media and uses less backwash
water than alternative methods.
THE DUAL
PARALLEL LATERAL
The dual parallel underdrain
was developed to solve flow distri-
bution problems by providing a pri-
mar y lateral and t wo parallel
secondary compensating laterals
(Figure 2). Control orifices open from
FIGURE 1. In gravity filters, the con- the primary lateral directly into the
ditioned raw water is introduced secondary laterals.
into the top of a basin, flows down Backwash water flows through
through the media bed, and is col- the primary lateral, rises and dis-
lected by the underdrain system. charges through the control orifices
into the secondary compensating lat-
erals. Any unbalanced flow from the primary lateral creates a directly com-
pensating velocity pressure gradient, which puts the secondary lateral into
a uniform hydraulic pressure condition throughout its length. This uniform
pressure services the top-deck dispersion orifices that discharge from the
compensating lateral into the filter box.
FIGURE 2. The top diagram shoes how the secondary, compensating lateral
In a lateral with equal-sized and equal-shaped orifices along its length, interacts with the primary lateral to provide uniform distribution of the
the orifice farthest from the point of admittance delivers the most water. Dis- backwash water and air. The bottom diagram cutaway view shows the
charge variances exist in the primary lateral of the dual parallel lateral under- orifices that distribute backwash water and air between the primary and
drain; the secondary laterals provide balance. secondary laterals that provide the flow to the top deck orifices.
This system provides uniform discharge along the entire length of the
lateral. Dual parallel laterals can be sized up to 50 feet long with a backwash
maldistribution of less than 2 percent. An additional benefit of the dual
parallel lateral is its ability to meter and uniformly distribute air to facili-
tate backwash.
A baffle in the bell end of the secondary laterals ensures that the air and
water metered into each 4-foot section are discharged from that section. With-
out the baffle, the backwash water tends to push the air up and down the lat-
eral, causing pulsations.
When rehabilitating existing filter systems, many factors must be con-
sidered. These include an adequate backwash flow based on the existing
backwash system, configuration of the backwash flume, depth and shape of FIGURE 3. Flat-bottom flume
the filter box, and characteristics of
the proposed media. In the case of
dual media using anthracite and
sand, the usual design backwash flow
rate is 20 gpm per square foot at 70
degrees F.
FLUME ARRANGEMENTS
Flume arrangement has a signif-
icant impact on rehabilitation cost.
The configuration of the backwash
flume is one of the major contribu-
tors of maldistribution in a filter,
along with the underdrain lateral
type and the media.
FRONT FLUME FIGURE 4. Left, demolition of a false-floor underdrain. Right, installation of a dual parallel lateral underdrain.
Figure 1 shows a typical instal-
lation of the dual parallel lateral in
a filter with a front flume. The backwash water enters the flume, travels into CONCLUSION
the dual parallel laterals, is dispersed up into the media, and finally is col- The dual parallel lateral has been successfully used in thousands of new
lected by washwater troughs. The air header piping in the flume uses J-risers and rehabilitated water filter plant installations. The compensating second-
to distribute the air to each dual parallel lateral. The air risers J shape is ary lateral has demonstrated excellent backwash characteristics versus other
used to flush any water that accumulates in the bottom of the air header types of single-pass underdrain systems. The closely spaced orifices of the
piping as the air fills the header. dual parallel lateral improve distribution of backwash air and water, provid-
ing better filter media cleaning.
FLAT-BOTTOM FLUME The dual parallel lateral can be easily used to rehabilitate existing filter
The flat-bottom flume (Figure 3) is ideal for replacing existing plenum under- boxes. A low-profile block coupled with gravelless support plates enables
drains with an end feed inlet configuration. This design improves maldistri- designers to provide more filter depth and improve operating performance,
bution characteristics while allowing for deeper, more efficient media beds. while meeting ever more stringent regulatory requirements.
Other flume designs are available for rehabilitation, depending on the
existing infrastructure design. Figure 4 shows the arrangement used to reha- ABOUT THE AUTHORS
bilitate a false-floor underdrain system. The old floor is removed and the Thomas M. Getting, P.E., BCEE, is principal engineer - filtration; and John
dual parallel lateral underdrain is placed directly on the floor. The water Geibel, P.E., is senior product engineer - filtration; both with Xylem.
enters the new underdrain layout at the end of the lateral and air is being
added using drop pipes mounted on the filter wall. References:
The configuration of the filter box in a filter rehabilitation influences Amirtharajah, A.; McNeily, N.; Page, G.; and McLeod, J. Optimum Back-
decisions such as lateral length, flume and underdrain configuration, media wash of Dual Media Filters and GAC Filter-Adsorbers With Air Scour. Ameri-
depth and selection, and backwash air delivery methods. The designer must can Water Works Research Foundation, 1991.
fit the backwash flume, the underdrain, the media support, the media, and Kleiner, M.; Snoeyink, V.; Horsley M.; Mayhugh, J.; and Cummings, C.
sufficient freeboard to the backwash outlet to prevent media loss. Comparison of Filter Backwash Using Air Scour and Surface Wash at Decatur
Another method of adding media depth or increasing freeboard into an Illinois. Report, August 1989.
existing filter box is the use of a gravelless support plate instead of graded Beverly, P., and Morando, T. Filtration Training Manual. F.B. Leopold Co.,
gravel. Media, such as sand, anthracite or granular activated carbon, can be 1997.
placed directly onto the surface of the plate. This has the added benefit of
eliminating gravel disruption and simplifies media change-out, such as for
granular activated carbon reactivation.
|
EDUCATION: Associate degree, earth science, Northern Essex
Community College
|
MEMBERSHIPS: New Hampshire Water Pollution Control
Association, NEWEA, WEF
|
GOALS: Retire to a lake house and enjoy what the profession
has done to preserve water quality
CHALLENGES
AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN NASHUA,
NEW HAMPSHIRE, JOHN ADIE BRINGS HIS EXPERIENCE TO TWO MORE CLEAN-WATER FACILITIES
STORY: Doug Day | PHOTOGRAPHY: Oliver Parini
AFTER WINNING A PRESTIGIOUS Less than three years later, though, things
AWARD FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS werent looking so bright. A lot of the plating
to the industry, John Adie retired from a 25-year industries were going overseas, and there was a
career at the wastewater treatment facility in rumor that we would be closing shop, Adie says.
Nashua, New Hampshire. My next-door neighbor worked in human resources
But instead of transitioning to a life of fish- at Nashua. She told me there would be an open-
ing or golf, Adie chose to spend his retirement ing at the wastewater treatment facility. I toured
supervising two other plants with technologies the plant, did an interview and got the job. A cou-
that are new to him. ple of years later, the circuit board company closed
Adie received the 2015 William D. Hatfield its doors.
Award from the New England Water Environ-
ment Association. At the time, he was operations GAINING RESPONSIBILITY
supervisor at the Nashua plant. He is past presi- The Nashua Wastewater Treatment Facility
dent of the New Hampshire Water Environment is fed by a combined sewer system and has a design
Association. flow of 16 mgd, an average flow of 11 mgd, and a
Ive been involved with NHWEA for more peak wet-weather flow of 110 mgd. After starting
than 10 years in different committees, and then as an operator in training in 1989, he moved
25 years at Nashua working from operator in train- steadily up the ranks.
ing up to a supervisory position and being involved He became a Grade IV operator 11 years ago.
in multiple upgrades at the plant, Adie says. He We dont do the ABC [Association of Boards of
is now plant operations supervisor for the two Certification] test, he says. Its a test developed
clean-water facilities in nearby Concord, New by engineers at the state Department of Environ-
Hampshire. mental Services, so its more an engineering test
than a knowledge test.
INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENT He has also taken certifications over the years
As a youngster, Adie and a good friend were in management and supervisory skills, and in
interested in careers as forest rangers. I always building and repairing computers. He kept upgrad-
did a lot of hiking, biking and camping and was ing his license and knowledge because he always
interested in preserving the environment, Adie John Adie, operations supervisor wanted to be in management, and he continues
says. His friend became a genetics engineer. studying today. He left Nashua in 2000 to go back
Adie earned an associate degree in earth sci- to Boston University for Computing Technology
ence from Northern Essex Community College and was working on a chem- Industry Association A+ certification and to earn a certificate in computer
istry degree at Salem State University. A job opened up at a printed circuit network administration: I was dabbling in it but really started to like it.
board company that included dealing with wastewater. His background fit He remembers telling Rick Seymour, plant superintendent and his boss,
the job, so he took it, leaving school. that he was changing careers: He sits me down and says, Johnny, does your
rosand and polymer to the water and
It took us a long drops out the solids. With the bal-
time to figure lasted floc, we have a clear effluent
going into the chlorine contact
out how to run the chamber.
The city has spent nearly $70
digester. It was a big million to minimize CSOs, includ-
learning curve, but we ing a $12 million automated under-
ground combined sewage screening
had good guidance from and disinfection facility built in
December 2014. That gravity-fed
the engineers at CB&I, system includes a 1-million-gallon
who built the facility. holding tank that stores the overflow
JOHN ADIE
for later treatment and provides par-
tial treatment to amounts over 1 mil-
lion gallons to reduce the impact of
CSOs. Eliminating overflows with such engineered solutions will cost more
than $100 million, while separating all combined sewers would cost about
$250 million.
Just before Adie left Nashua, the plant spent $4.16 million to replace
three 25-year-old blowers with energy-efficient 200 hp Turblex blowers (Evo-
qua Water Technologies) and upgrade the secondary clarifiers.
Energy Insights
AN ENERGY AUDIT POINTS THE WAY TO MAJOR SAVINGS IN AERATION AND A HOST
OF FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE CLEAN-WATER PLANT IN STRATFORD, ONTARIO
By Doug Day
E
nergy conservation is part of the planning process for the city of
Stratford, Ontario. With the wastewater treatment plant consuming
more than 20 percent of the citys total energy, it made sense to target
that facility.
A free energy assessment conducted by Festival Hydro and the plant
operator, Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), showed that more than 60
percent of the 5.7 mgd plants energy went to aeration through 1,600 fine-
bubble diffusers.
PRECISE AERATION
The operations team started there. We replaced two fixed-speed 200 hp
centrifugal blowers with a single 350 hp high-efficiency turbo air blower from
APG-Neuros with a built-in variable-frequency drive, says Indra Maharjan,
program manager for energy conservation and climate change with OCWA.
The old blowers always operated at full output and often over-aerated.
This caused dissolved oxygen to be 5 to 10 mg/L, when it should have been
2 to 3 mg/L. We were using more air and energy than required, and the over-
aeration also caused problems with shearing of the floc, which made the sec-
ondary clarifiers less efficient. A single 350 hp high-efficiency turbo blower (APG-Neuros) now does the job
Incentives of $75,200 from Ontarios Save on Energy conservation pro- of two fixed-speed 200 hp blowers and saves about $56,400 a year.
gram helped fund the $350,000 project. The city expects a return on invest-
ment of nearly 700 percent over the 20-year life of the aeration system some
US THEM
By Ted J. Rulseh
I
ts a common tale. A small communitys clean-water plant is aging. The
operators know its time to modernize or upgrade. They know what
needs to be done, and community decision-makers do, too, but its hard
to find the money to do the work.
James (Jay) Irwin, chief operator of the village of Sherman (New York)
Wastewater Treatment Plant, finds himself in that position. The community
of 730 residents, about an hour west of Buffalo, needs to replace or signifi-
cantly improve its 140,000 gpd (design) plant, commissioned in 1978 and
never upgraded. Unfortunately, the estimated cost of $4.2 million is more
than the plants roughly 300 customers could support through higher rates.
Irwin, with the full support of the mayor and four village trustees, is
casting about for state or federal funding assistance, so far without success.
Meanwhile, despite badly deteriorating plant infrastructure, he and Josh
Courtney, assistant operator, consistently meet BOD limits (30 mg/L winter
10 mg/L summer), and TSS limits (30 mg/L winter 5 mg/L summer).
They achieve more than 99 percent BOD and TSS removal.
Ironically, that excellent performance makes it more difficult for the
plant to receive funding from the states Environmental Funding Corpora-
tion. Irwin described the villages predicament and his approach to excel- James (Jay) Irwin, chief operator of the village of Sherman (New York)
Wastewater Treatment Plant
lence in operation in an interview with Treatment Plant Operator.
: What is your background in the clean-water profession? Theyre circular tanks with an aeration zone, a contact stabilization zone, a
Irwin: My family moved to Sherman when I was 13. I grew up and digester, and a stilling well in the middle.
graduated from high school here. I went to community college for two years, The plant originally had microscreen tertiary treatment, but that was
got a criminal justice degree, and worked as a police officer for about four used for only about two years. About five years ago I converted those tanks
to provide additional settling before the flow goes to
: What sources of funding are you exploring? We do the same job every wastewater department is
Irwin: There is funding from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Rural Development program, and Im
doing, only with less money. I think that should be taken
working on applying for that. We could potentially get into consideration under these funding point systems.
all the money we need, but it depends on how much JAMES IRWIN
money is available. There are loans, or grants if we can
qualify, but the amount available is limited. : Are your community leaders on board with the need to invest in
the facility?
: Have you explored any other avenues for funding? Irwin: They are definitely in favor, but weve got to find the money to
Irwin: We could have received a loan through the New York State Envi- do it. Ive had a couple of village board members in for a visit. I showed them
ronmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), but the interest rate was 2 percent, whats going on, and they fully understand the situation were in.
and we cant afford to borrow the full amount at that rate. We would need to
have grant money as part of the package, and we didnt qualify for a grant. : In your opinion, what should be done to help small plants like
yours?
: Why didnt your facility qualify for a grant? Irwin: I favor merging systems where possible. We have a couple of cases
Irwin: They have a point system, and we came in below the line. That in our county where towns have gone together to form sewer districts. Our
was because of the high quality of our effluent. They said that because of our neighboring town has a lake with more than 600 properties and no sewer
effluent and the quality of work we do, it doesnt matter what our infrastruc- system. I proposed upgrading this plant and having their sewage pumped
ture looks like. They said they understand thats a flaw in the system, but and treated here. Then we could share the costs and make it cheaper for
theres nothing they can do about it. Essentially, we would have to fail our everybody in the long run. I had an engineering report done to compare what
permit to qualify for higher grant funding. it would cost for them to build their own system versus coming to us. They
decided to go on their own.
: What will happen if your infrastructure and equipment continue
to deteriorate? : What can be done to help small facilities where combining sys-
Irwin: Eventually its going to affect our effluent quality. We can only tems isnt possible?
do so much with what we have. If our tanks fall apart, we wont be able to Irwin: The EFC lists who is receiving money and who has received the
run our process properly. Right now we cant even put our second process 0 percent hardship loans and grants. A lot of those places are big plants treat-
tank in service while we repair the first tank. Its been suggested that we put ing millions of gallons a day, while little plants like ours that are more in
in a holding tank, but we dont have enough property to do that. Were land- need arent getting anything. We go above and beyond to make sure we meet
locked by the creek and by a farm right next to us. our permit. We do the same job every wastewater department is doing, only
with less money. I think that should be taken into consideration under these
: How do you produce such good effluent with so little in terms of funding point systems. We manage, but with what we have and where were
resources? heading, were not going to be able to manage forever.
Irwin: Its experience. Ill have 10 years in June. Ive been chief opera-
tor for six years. I had a great mentor in Paul Fisher, my predecessor. He was
a really good operator.
: What are you doing day to day to keep the plant on an even keel?
Every day is Earth Day.
Irwin: We keep very close track of our mixed liquor suspended solids Were met with a new challenge each day.
and our sludge volume index. We watch them daily, and we have the process Whether its the sewer or water department ...
fine-tuned so that we know what we need to do and when to clean the tanks. we take our jobs very seriously, and
We have an extended aeration process, and we have the ability to introduce Jeff Chartier
the key thing is knowing that were in An Original Environmentalist
influent to our tank at different positions, depending on our flow.
compliance and not polluting our waters. SUPERINTENDENT
Town of Bristol (N.H.) Sewer
and Water Department
: How do you respond to changes in flow?
Irwin: We dont have combined sewers, but we get a lot of I&I, so we see Read about original environmentalists like Jeff
each month in Treatment Plant Operator.
high flows from heavy rains or from snowmelt in spring. Were able to short-
circuit the system to move those heavy flows through without affecting our
FREE subscription at www.tpomag.com
process. We move our influent port into the contact stablilization zone, so
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TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR
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AquFlow (formerly Hydroflo) Pumps
1642 McGaw Ave.
949-757-1753 Fax: 949-757-1687
YES YES YES
sales@aquflow.com www.aquflowpumps.com
Blue-White Industries
5300 Business Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649
714-893-8529 Fax: 714-894-9492
YES YES
See ad page 2
sales@blue-white.com www.blue-white.com
Boerger, LLC
2860 Water Tower Pl., Chanhassen, MN 55317
612-435-7300 Fax: 612-435-7301
YES YES YES YES
america@boerger.com www.boerger.com
Dragon Products
1655 Louisiana St., Beaumont, TX 77701
800-231-8198
YES
frac.sales@modernusa.com www.dragonproductsltd.com
Force Flow
2430 Stanwell Dr., Concord, CA 94520
800-893-6723 925-686-6700 Fax: 925-686-6713
YES
info@forceflow.com www.forceflow.com
Gardner Denver
1800 Gardner Expressway, Quincy, IL 62305
217-222-5400 Fax: 217-228-8243 YES YES
See ad page 37 pd.blowers@gardnerdenver.com
www.gardnerdenverproducts.com
Gorman-Rupp Company
600 S Airport Rd., Mansfield, OH 44903
419-755-1011 Fax: 419-755-1251
YES YES YES
See ad page 13 grsales@gormanrupp.com www.GRpumps.com
Holland Pump
7312 Wesport Pl., West Palm Beach, FL 33413
800-451-0769 561-697-3333 Fax: 561-683-7247
YES YES YES
See ad page 8
sales@hollandpump.com www.hollandpump.com
IWAKI America
5 Boynton Rd., Holliston, MA 01746
508-429-1440
YES YES YES
info@iwakiamerica.com www.iwakiamerica.com
YES
YES
YES
YES
Me
t er
ing
YES
YES
YES
YES
Pe
r is
tal
tic
YES
P is
t on
/ Pl
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Pro
YES
Ca gress
vity ive
Pu
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Vib p Al
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Pu
mp
Co
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Pu
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
C o p Pa
mp r t s
on /
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Pu
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
mp
S e Re
r v i pa
ce ir/
YES
YES
Ro
t ar
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
So
lid
s/ Slu
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Su
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ibl
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YES
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Lif tical
tS /
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O th
er
Vacuum
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TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR
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COMPANY
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Gr i
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Komline-Sanderson
12 Holland Ave., Peapack, NJ 07977
800-225-5457 908-234-1000 Fax: 908-234-9487 YES
See ad page 70 info@komline.com www.komline.com
KSB, Inc.
4415 Sarellen Rd., Henrico, VA 23231
804-222-1818 Fax: 804-226-6961 YES YES YES
sales@ksbusa.com www.ksbusa.com
LMI Pumps
201 Ivyland Rd., Ivyland, PA 18974
800-564-1097 215-293-0401 Fax: 215-293-0445
YES YES
lmi@precisionflowsystemsleads.com www.lmipumps.com
Milton Roy
201 Ivyland Rd., Ivyland, PA 18974
877-786-7298 215-441-0800 Fax: 215-441-8620 YES YES
miltonroy@precisionflowsystemsleads.com
www.miltonroy.com
NOV
10353 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77042
832-424-7300
YES YES
See ad page 27 industrial@nov.com www.nov.com/industrial
PRIMEX
PO Box 1708, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
844-477-4639 218-847-1317
info@primexcontrols.com www.primexcontrols.com
Pulsafeeder, Inc.
27101 Airport Rd., Punta Gorda, FL 33982
800-333-6677 941-575-3800 Fax: 941-575-4085
YES YES
ppgsposales@idexcorp.com www.pulsatron.com
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Me
t er
ing
YES
YES
YES
Pe
r is
tal
tic
YES
YES
YES
YES
P is
t on
/ Pl
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Pro
YES
YES
YES
Ca gress
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Pu
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YES
YES
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Pu
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
C o p Pa
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YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
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YES
YES
YES
So
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YES
YES
Su
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YES
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Lif tical
tS /
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er
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DIRECTORY
Red Valve Co. / Tideflex Technologies
600 N Bell Ave., Carnegie, PA 15106
412-279-0044 Fax: 412-279-7878
YES YES YES YES YES
See ad page 17 valves@redvalve.com www.redvalve.com
ROBUSCHI USA
1813 Associates Ln., Ste. E, Charlotte, NC 28217
877-424-1020 704-424-1018 Fax: 704-424-1019
YES
See ad page 7 sales@robuschiusa.com www.robuschiusa.com
ScreenCo Systems
13235 Spur Rd., Genesee, ID 83832
208-790-8770
See ad page 70
sales@screencosystems.com www.screencosystems.com
SEEPEX Inc.
511 Speedway Dr., Enon, OH 45323
937-864-7150
YES YES YES YES
See ad page 57 sales.us@seepex.com www.seepex.com
Sensaphone
901 Tryens Rd., Aston, PA 19014
877-373-2700
sales@sensaphone.com www.sensaphone.com
Sunbelt Rentals
2341 Deerfield Dr., Fort Mill, SC 29715
800-736-2504
YES YES YES YES
See ad page 47 www.sunbeltrentals.com
Verder, Inc.
312 Corporate Pkwy. Ste. 101, Macon, GA 31210
877-476-3569 Fax: 877-471-3569
YES YES YES
See ad page 31 sales@verder-us.com www.verder-us.com
Wastecorp Pumps
PO Box 70, Grand Island, NY 14072
888-829-2783 201-445-2882 Fax: 888-883-3320
YES YES YES YES YES
See ad page 65 info@wastecorp.com www.wastecorp.com
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YES
Chemical Metering
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES Systems
Remote Monitoring
Systems
1
1. The Grit & Grease system has an aerated grit settling channel
and a parallel channel where grease floats and is skimmed off.
2. The mechanical drive systems have direct-drive gearboxes
to help reduce the time and resources needed for maintenance.
Double Duty
A TWO-IN-ONE UNIT FROM SCHREIBER REMOVES GRIT AND GREASE FROM WASTEWATER
STREAMS IN PARALLEL CHANNELS, HELPING TO PROTECT DOWNSTREAM PROCESSES
By Ted J. Rulseh
G
rit in wastewater is a well-known nuisance that if not efficiently removed
Organics are often bound up with the grit.
can damage downstream process equipment and cause maintenance
headaches. The turbulence, the roll that we create with
But grease can cause its own set of issues, such as by forming grease balls
in aeration basins and clarifiers that have to be removed manually. A tech- aeration, helps slough off the organic material
nology from Schreiber is designed to remove both grit and grease in adjoin-
ing channels.
from the grit and keep it in suspension.
LARRY WILLINGHAM
The Grit & Grease system has an aerated channel where grit settles to
the bottom and is pumped out, along with a parallel channel where grease
floats to the surface and is skimmed off. Improvements to the system have a traveling bridge carrying a pump for removing grit that accumulates in
enhanced reliability, reduced maintenance, and simplified programming of the bottom trough. Our system differs from a conventional aerated grit cham-
operations to adapt to specific treatment plant flows and grit characteristics. ber using a length-width ratio of 8-to-1 to 10-to-1, versus conventional units
Larry Willingham, director of sales processes, talked about the technol- with a ratio of about 5-to-1. It has the typical design parameter of a three- to
ogy in an interview with Treatment Plant Operator. five-minute detention time, but the greater length means more opportunity
to accumulate the grit on the floor of the basin.
: What market need drove development of this technology?
Willingham: Grit is a nuisance component of wastewater that can : Is the footprint about the same as for a conventional aerated
cause abrasive wear on mechanical equipment. A combination of grit and grit basin?
grease becomes even more abrasive. Getting those components out early in Willingham: Its narrower than a conventional chamber but also lon-
the process benefits the operation and maintenance of a facility throughout ger, and so the overall area is about the same.
its service life. A combined removal system is very beneficial. You get both
materials out, as opposed to neglecting the grease. : What is the advantage of a grit channel that is aerated?
Willingham: Coarse-bubble diffusers run the length of the channel.
: How does this system remove the grit efficiently? We aerate very heavily at the influent end where the heaviest grit settles out.
Willingham: The primary component is an aerated grit chamber with Organics are often bound up with the grit. The turbulence, the roll that we
PRESSURE
Our BN range progressive cavity pumps are used ADDITIONAL BENEFITS UP TO 720 PSI
in many industries and applications, moving Minimal pulsation, uniform flow
thin to highly viscous liquids and materials, High self-priming capabilities
with or without solids.
Mounted either horizontally or vertically
Large entrance ports for solids handling
Because of their plug-in shaft connection,
they also simplify the replacement of rotating Low shear rates
wearing parts and the shaft sealing. Reversible SEEPEX Inc.
rotation and fluid flow is also available, which Contact us to purchase your pump with sales.us@seepex.com
improves the NPSHr and sealing. economical operation. T +1 937 864-7150
www.seepex.com
create with aeration, helps slough off the organic material from the grit and nel. There it enters a screw conveyor that runs continuously and rotates very
keep it in suspension. As the flow travels down the channel, we reduce the slowly, removing and dewatering the grease. Since the screw conveyor sits at
agitation so that the finer grit particles can settle out. The system is adapt- an angle of about 20 degrees, the water drains back down into the structure,
able to a wide range of flows without deterioration of grit removal because it and we end up with relatively dry grease balls about an inch to an inch-and-
controls the aeration and agitation independent of the hydraulic flow. a-half in diameter. The material is very easy to dispose of at a landfill because
most of the water has been removed. The volume is reduced tremendously.
: How is the grit that settles removed from the system?
Willingham: A grit pump mounted to a traveling bridge lifts the col- : What are some of the latest upgrades to this technology?
lected grit to an elevated trough to transfer the grit slurry to a classifier for Willingham: The mechanical drive systems have improved with direct-
further washing and dewatering. drive gearboxes. This and other modifications have reduced the time and resources
needed to maintain and service the equipment. And a new bridge arrangement
: How does the system remove grease along with the grit? makes it much easier to access and retrieve the grit pump for servicing.
Willingham: There are two
separate linear channels. One is a
deep channel where we settle the The skimming system directs air or water onto the surface and transports
grit. Next to that a divider baffle wall
protrudes just below the water sur- the floating grease and scum to the far end of the channel. There it
face and separates the two channels. enters a screw conveyor that runs continuously and rotates very slowly,
The baffle wall keeps the turbulence
in the aerated grit channel from removing and dewatering the grease.
transferring to the grease channel. LARRY WILLINGHAM
The grease needs a quiescent area
where it can float on the surface. The air rolls that agitates the grit and sep- : How much operator attention does this system require?
arates the organics also assists in floating the grease to the surface and to the Willingham: The system is highly automated. Mainly, it just needs a
other channel. The grease slips underneath the baffle wall and onto the sur- periodic visual inspection. Operators have flexibility to use a touch screen
face of the grease channel, where we remove it with an air/water skimming to adjust the sequence time for grit pump operation based on the character-
mechanism. istics of the grit.
PRIMEX PSLT
Vertical/Lift Station Pumps The PRIMEX PSLT provides a reliable and low-
maintenance solution for level control applications. The
SCREENCO SYSTEMS instrument measures the hydrostatic pressure of the
PATZ SHAFT DRIVE PUMPS water above the sensor and outputs a 4-20mA signal
Patz Shaft Drive Pumps, distributed by Screenco proportional to the level. The transmitter-wetted com-
Systems, are vertical pit pumps that can be used in ponents are designed to provide an electrical isola-
above-ground or underground storage tanks, and tion barrier while the protective diaphragm isolates
include choices of single- or three-phase electric motors. the pressure sensor from process material. It has an
They have high solids and grit capacities with large industry-standard 4-20mA, is two-wire-loop pow-
centrifugal pumps and hardened steel impellers. High ered, with an 18/2 shielded cable with vent tube,
capacities include the 3333 Series up to 500 gpm, and removable lock-in-place stabilizing weight, and
PSLT submersible level
the 4444 Series up to 1,580 gpm. They can be deployed has multiple ranges and cable lengths available.
transmitter from PRIMEX
in depths from 3 feet to 12 feet 8 inches. The 844/477-4639; www.primexcontrols.com
Patz Shaft Drive Pumps, 6000 and 8000 Series have a three-point hitch
distributed by
Screenco Systems with PTO drive and can offer up to 3,500 gpm SEE WATER WS SERIES
at depths from 6 to 12 feet. They can be used Intrinsically safe WS Series pump control pan-
with an agitator nozzle to mix and pump fast. The 616 vertical prop agi- els from See Water are designed for dewatering
tator is capable of mixing at 9,000 gpm, keeping grit and solids mixed applications in hazardous locations. The pump
at pit depths of 6 to 16 feet. 208/790-8770; www.screencosystems.com panels provide intrinsically safe circuit extensions
for one or two pumps for sewage pump chambers,
grinder pumps, sump pump basins and lift
Pump Controls stations. They come standard with clear- WS Series pump control
panels from See Water
front NEMA-4X polycarbonate enclosures,
DSI DYNAMATIC EC-2000 alarm visual indicators, and are UL 698 approved. All systems are UL
The EC-2000 digital universal con- listed for the U.S. and Canada. 888/733-9283; www.seewaterinc.com
troller from DSI Dynamatic is suitable
for any brand of eddy current drive. It SENSAPHONE SENTINEL PRO
has the option of being equipped for Eth- The Sentinel PRO cloud-based system from Sensaphone provides
ernet IP communication, simplifying EC-2000 digital universal remote monitoring of equipment and environmental conditions in water
the installation and setup of the con- controller from DSI Dynamatic and wastewater applications. The system monitors, delivers alarms and
troller, and permitting all control com- datalogs input/output points from third-party Modbus sensors, trans-
munication to be transmitted over a single pair of wires. Compatible ducers and programmable logic controllers. It supports Modbus RTU/485
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Vertical/Lift Station Pumps First choice for wastewater, sludge, and grit removal.
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Chemical metering pumps help eliminate Screw pumps solve high-lift pumping problem
vapor lock and loss of prime
Problem
Problem The Willmar (Minnesota) Wastewater Treatment Plant needed a single-
stage screw pump for 43.2 feet of lift.
A military base in Californias San Diego County has a water supply
and wastewater treatment plant to serve a population of 70,000. Diaphragm
metering pumps had been used to inject sodium hypochlorite into the Solution
wastewater treatment system. The cycle consists of a suction and discharge The plant installed three
phase. During the suction phase, gaseous chemicals were causing vapor Landustrie open screw
lock and causing the pump to lose prime. pumps (EPIC Interna-
tional). They pump 8,333
Solution gpm. The pumps, 84 inches
in diameter and 74 feet 6
The pumps were replaced
with two ProSeries-M MD-3 inches long, have solid one-
double-diaphragm metering piece ductile cast iron (not
pumps (Blue-White Indus- welded) upper and lower
tries) for beta testing. In dual shafts and flanges, and rein-
diaphragm configuration, when forced flight starts. They use self-aligning bearings.
the first diaphragm is in the suc-
tion phase, the second is in the RESULT
discharge phase. This helps cre- The screw pumps solved the lift problem, and have run without
ate a near-continuous sodium hypochlorite flow, preventing gas buildup incident since they were installed. 804/798-3939; www.epicintl.com
and loss of prime.
RESULT
The pumps delivered the chemical in the high-pressure applica-
tion and eliminated vapor lock. The pumps injected 12.5 to 18 percent Chemical feed pumps provide reliable
sodium hypochlorite at 5 to 10 gph at 90 to 120 psi. Smooth dosing service for ozone pretreatment
eliminated the need for a pulsation dampener. The installation was
simplified by the pumps drop-in-place design and built-in controls. Problem
714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com The 37 mgd William B. Cater Water Treatment Plant in Santa Barbara,
California, needed an upgrade to add ozone pretreatment facilities, includ-
ing a new metering pump system.
Solution
The plant team chose Encore
magazine.
hydraulic diaphragm and the econ-
omy, simplicity and serviceability of
mechanical diaphragm liquid ends.
It is driven by a rotating crankshaft
Tell your story. where eccentricity can be smoothly
adjusted during operation. The
pump valves operate efficiently and
with minimal vibration. Pumps are
available in six diaphragm sizes and
double simplex capability for capaci-
ties to 660 gph and back pressure to
175 psi.
RESULT
With minor maintenance, the pumps have metered 12.5 percent
sodium hypochlorite accurately and reliably. The pumps also deliver
the plants primary coagulant, a viscous blend of aluminum chlorohy-
Wed like to hear about your water or wastewater treatment operation. drate and polymer that weighs over 11 pounds per gallon and is corro-
Send your ideas for future articles to editor@tpomag.com sive to metals. 855/669-3845; www.ugsichemicalfeed.com
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3
1
Adel Banoub, acting superintendent of the Woonsocket (Rhode Island) March 6-7
Wastewater Treatment Facility won the 2016 Rhode Island Alfred E. Pelo- Virginia Water Environment Association Industrial Waste and
quin Award from the New England Water Environment Association for excel- Pretreatment Conference, Omni Hotel, Charlottesville. Call 757/460-
7048 or visit www.vwea.org.
lent performance in wastewater operations and significant contributions to
the field. Banoub began at Woonsocket as a chemist in 1977. March 7-9
Flint Water Infrastructure Summit, Riverfront Banquet Center,
Walter Hilbert, chief of wastewater management for Suffolk County, Flint, Michigan. Visit www.michigan.gov.
New York, died of cancer at age 51. He was credited with helping spearhead
efforts to reduce nitrogen discharges and protect the areas water resources. March 12-15
AWWA South Carolina Section Annual Conference, Sheraton
Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Visit www.scwaters.org.
For the 10th straight year, the Gig Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant
received an Outstanding Performance Award from the Washington State March 14-15
Department of Ecology for meeting permit standards. AWWA Best Practices Water Audits and Loss Control Programs
Seminar, Holiday Inn Express Nashville (Tennessee) Downtown Hotel.
The Long Beach, Fort Columbia State Park and Willapa Regional Visit www.awwa.org.
wastewater treatment plants were honored by the Washington Department
March 19-22
of Ecology for perfect performance in 2015. Long Beach had perfect compli- AWWA 2017 Sustainable Water Management, Hotel Monteleone,
ance for the first time in 2008, and since then it has made the list every year New Orleans. Visit www.awwa.org.
except 2012. Fort Columbia achieved perfect compliance in 2009 and 2010.
Willapa achieved perfect compliance for the first time in 2014. March 20-23
Illinois Section AWWA WATERCON 2017, Crown Plaza, Spring-
Spartanburg Water, South Carolina, was named a Utility of the Future field. Visit www.isawwa.org.
Today for performance and innovation at its wastewater facilities under a March 21-22
program developed by the WEF. AWWA 2017 International Symposium on Inorganics, Detroit
Marriot at the Renaissance Center. Visit www.awwa.org.
Gary Hanson won the Wisconsin Wastewater Operators Association 2016
George F. Bernauer Award, the associations highest honor. Hanson has oper- March 21-23
ated many treatment facilities since 1978, and continues to provide educa- Quebec Section AWWA Annual Conference, Palais Des Congres,
Montreal, Canada. Visit www.reseau-environnement.com.
tion and guidance to operators throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.
He is a project manager and wastewater technician for Short Elliott Hen- March 21-24
drickson, which has its corporate office in St. Paul, Minnesota. New Jersey Section AWWA Annual Conference, The Borgata
Hotel Casino and Spa, Atlantic City. Visit www.njawwa.org.
New Jersey American Water promoted Kevin Kirwan to vice president
of operations and Kevin Keane to senior director of coastal operations. March 26-29
Missouri Section AWWA Annual Conference, Osage Beach. Visit
www.awwa-mo.org.
Anchorage (Alaska) Water & Wastewater Utility received the Engi-
neering News-Record Northwest Regions Water/Environment Best Projects March 29-31
Award and Safety Award. Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference, presented by the
Design-Build Institute of America, AWWA, WEF and the Water
The Washington Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office rec- Design-Build Council, Hilton Minneapolis. Call 202/454-7528 or visit
ognized Bainbridge Island with the Wastewater Treatment Plant Award for www.wef.org.
permit compliance and monitoring and reporting.
TPO invites your national, state or local association to post notices and
The Clayton County Water Authority won five 2016 awards from the news items in this column. Send contributions to editor@tpomag.com.
Georgia Association of Water Professionals:
Wastewater Lab Award (larger than 20 mgd)
Water Environment Federation Analyst Excellence Award The Isle of Palms Water and Sewer Commission was recognized as
Municipal Wastewater WEF Burke Award for Safety (Shoal Creek Water System of the Year from the South Carolina Rural Water Association.
Water Reclamation Facility) The commission also received a South Carolina Department of Health and
Top Maintenance Technician Award Environmental Control Facility Excellence award and an Award of Merit
Top Collection System Platinum Award from Engineering News-Record Southeast Water/Environment for the project
Distribution System Gold Award to replace the Forest Trails Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The city of Fremont Wastewater Treatment Plant received the Scott The National Association of Clean Water Agencies presented New Orleans;
Wilber Outstanding Facility Award from the Nebraska Water Environment Milwaukee; and Gresham, Oregon, with Peak Performance Awards for 100
Association for the 12th consecutive year. percent permit compliance.
People.
Beloit (Wis.) Water Pollution Control
Sid Fredrickson, wastewater superintendent in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, Treatment Facility
retired after 30 years with the city. He began his tenure with the wastewater
department in 1991.
The Naval Air Station Whiting Field water management team earned
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Plant Operations Excel-
lence Award for the fifth consecutive year. People.
TPO welcomes your contributions to this listing. To recognize members of your The greatest natural resource.
team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications tpomag.com
or achievements to editor@tpomag.com. SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
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Triton Configurations
From municipal wastewater to food processing to industrial
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